Started in 1984, the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) is an ongoing program of cross-national collaboration. The program develops modules that deal with areas of interest in the social sciences. These modules supplement regular national surveys. The 1998 religion module includes data from Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, the Slovakian Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Like the 1991 International Social Survey Program: Religion I, this survey covers three main topic areas. The first addresses general attitudes toward various social issues including government, sex, abortion, male and female issues, and personal trust. Secondly, the module addresses religion, including the role of religious leaders, attitudes about God, attendance, miracles, and the Bible. Finally, the module has demographic information including age, sex, education, and occupation.

Data File

Cases: 39,034
Variables: 202
Weight Variable: WEIGHT (187)

Data Collection

Date Collected: Beginning in February 1998 and ending in March 2001.

Funded By

The research organization in each country funds all of its own costs and the merging of the data into a cross-national data set is performed by the Zentralarchiv fuer Empirische Sozialforschung, University of Cologne.

Collection Procedures

A variety of methods were used to collect the data including face-to-face interviews, mail survey, and self-completion surveys completed in the presence of a field worker or dropped off and picked up by him or her.

Sampling Procedures

For sampling, each country used one of the following techniques: probability cluster sample, stratified random sample, simple random sample, random equal probability sample, or area probability sample.

Category labels for respondents from Australia and Ireland.1 Never2 Less than once a year3 About once or twice a year4 Several times a year5 About once a month6 2-3 times a month7 Nearly every week8 Every week9 Several times a week; + once a day; several times a day98 Canít say, donít know99 No answer

Variable: AGE

Variation in category labels:16 16 years18 Great Britain: 18 years or above75 Switzerland: 75 years96 Switzerland: 96 years. Great Britain: 96 years or older.

Variable: EDUC

Variation in question wording:Australia: What is the highest grade or year of (primary or secondary) school you have completed?Germany: How many years from school to university education, but without vocational training?Great Britain: Years in school Ė recode from how old were you when you completed continuous full-time education?United States: What is the highest grade in elementary school or high school that you finished and got credit for?Italy: How many years in general have you studied? (Consider years at primary school to university grades)Ireland: How many years of full-time education did you receive?Netherlands: Years of schooling following respondentís sixth birthday including vocational training.Norway: Years in school after compulsory education.Sweden: How many years have you attended school, all full-time education included?Czech Republic: Can you please count how many years in total you attended school? Include all years spent in any school, even if you didnít complete the course of study, and/or years of study in other than full-time education programs.Poland: Highest years of school completed.Russia: How many years all together did you study? (including vocational training).Slovenia: How many years in regular formal schooling?New Zealand: How many years of full-time education have you had? (include primary school, intermediate, secondary school, university and polytechnic, but not vocational training.)Philippines: Actual number of years of full-time schooling?

Variation in Labels for EDUC:

1 1 yearAustralia: 0 or 1 year8 New Zealand: 1-8 years9 9 yearsNorway: 7-9 years, only compulsory11 New Zealand: 9-11 years13 New Zealand: 12-13 years1415 New Zealand: 14-16 years.17 New Zealand: 17 years or more50 50 years or more94 Other answer95 Still at schoolJapan: Still at high schoolSwitzerland, Norway: Still at school + still at university96 Still at college, university97 No formal schooling, still at school98 Donít know99 No answerSpain: No answer, donít know00 Not available

Variable: DEGREE

Variation in question wording:Australia: What is your highest qualification?Germany: What kind of a complete general school-education do you have?Great Britain: Highest educational qualifications obtained?United States: What is the highest degree?Hungary: Completed school grades.Italy: Degree of studyNorway: What kind of general education, what kind of vocational education/training, what kind of education on university/college level have you completed? Note: Compulsory school was 7 years until about the mid 1960ís; 9 years of compulsory school was introduced during the 1960ís, but at different times in different parts of the country.Czech Republic: What is your highest achieved level of education?Slovenia: Name last school you completed, regularly or while working.Poland: What is the highest education level you have finished?Bulgaria, Sweden: Highest level of education.Russia: What education do you have?Ireland: What is the highest level of education that you attained?New Zealand: Highest level of formal educationJapan: What is your highest school qualification?Philippines: Educational attainment of respondent.Spain: (If not illiterate) Highest level of education.

Variation in question wording:Czech Republic: Do you work in a private or state sector or are you an entrepreneur/self-employed?Norway: Which type of organization do you work for in your main job?Poland: What is/was the form of ownership of this place of work?

Variation in category labels for WRKGOVT:

1 Works for government or public sectorGreat Britain, Norway, Slovenia: Local, central government, public organizationAustria: Government or public owned firmBulgaria: State government agencyCzech Republic: Public institution, state administrationIreland: Civil service, local authority, non commercial2 Works for publicly owned firmHungary: Partly for public owned, partly in private ownershipNorway: Other public organizations, charity, trustCzech Republic, Great Britain: state or municipality companySweden: Public owned plus combination of public and privateIreland: Semi-state bodySlovenia: Nationalized industry or in transition3 Works for private firm or sectorNorway: Personal company, limited companyCzech Republic, Great Britain: Large, joint-stock company, other private company, co-operativePhilippines: Private firm, unpaid family workerRussia: Doesnít work for government or publicly owned firm6 Austrian, Great Britain: Non-profit organizations, welfare organizations8 Self employedIreland: Incl. FarmerCzech Republic: Self-employed, freelancePhilippines: Self-employed, informal sector9 No answer, donít know, canít choose, refused0 Not applicable (unemployed, not in labor force, never had a job, not in paid work, not working)United States: Not available

Variable: SELFEMP

Variation in category labels:1 Self-employed (with/without employees)Norway, Japan: incl. family members + freelanceCzech Republic: incl. freelance2 Works for someone else8 No answer, donít know, refused9 NAP (unemployed, not in labor force, never had a job, not in paid work, not working)\L

Variable: WRKHRS

Variation in question wording:Australia: How many hours did you work last week, how many hours do you usually work a week?Germany: How many hours per week do you normally work in your main job, including overtime?Great Britain: (Current job of 10 hours or more per week) (If in paid work, employee and self-employed) How many hours a week do you normally work in your main job?United States: How many hours did you work last week, how many hours do you usually work a week, at all jobs?Italy, Norway: (If in paid work) How many hours per week do you work normally in your main job, including overtime but excluding the time you need to get to your workplace and back home (not housewife (man) or home duties)?Czech Republic: How many hours do you usually work a week, include your second jobs, other entrepreneurial activities?Poland: On the average, how many hours a week do you work at all jobs?Philippines: In total, how many hours a week do you work?

Variation in category labels for WRKHRS:

01 One hour96 96 hours and more98 Donít know, canít say, varies too much99 No answer, refused00 NAP (not in paid work, never had a job, unemployed, not in labor force.) Northern Ireland, New Zealand: Not available

Variable: WRKSUP

Slovenia: What is (was) your position at working place?Czech Republic: Did (do) you have subordinates in your main employmentPoland: Do you supervise the work of other employees?Labels:9 Spain: No answer, donít know0 Australia, United States: Not available

Variable: RINCOME

Variation in question wording:Australia: Yearly income in Australian money (midpoints)Austria: Respondentís personal net income per month in shilling (midpoints)Canada: In what range would your own personal income fall? (Midpoints of the categories in Canadian money?Switzerland: Respondentís monthly earnings from in employment in Swiss francs (midpoints)Germany: Respondentís net earnings per month after taxes and social insurance in DMGreat Britain: Own gross earnings per year from all sources before income tax and national insurance (midpoints in pounds)Hungary: Respondentís net earnings per month in ForintItaly: Respondentís net income per month in thous. LireIreland: Into which category would you say your own weekly gross income before taxes and social insurance fall? (midpoints in Irish pounds)Israel: Midpoints of the categories in NISJapan: How much did you earn yourself last year before taxes? (midpoints in thous. Yen)Latvia: Monthly net income in Latvian LatsNorway: What was your personal gross income before taxes and allowances in 1997 include retirement benefits etc.? (In Norwegian Kroner)New Zealand: Which of the following categories best describes your own yearly income from all sources before tax in New Zealand money (midpoints of the categories)Portugal: Respondentís monthly average net income in escudos (midpoints)Poland: What is your average monthly earnings from your present job or business after taxes in new Zloty?Russia: What is your monthly wage together with all bonuses, compensations, and other payments in new RUR (midpoints)?Sweden: What is your approximate income per month before taxes in SEK?Philippines: Respondentís monthly income in PesosCzech Republic: What is your average total net income per month in CZK? Count your net salary or wage, income from additional employment, unemployment benefits, entrepreneurial profits.Slovenia: What was your last regular monthly income after taxes and social insurances from all sources in Tolar?Cyprus: Monthly gross earnings before taxes in Cyprus pounds CYP (midpoints)Spain: Respondentís monthly earnings in pts (midpoints)France: Respondentís monthly earnings in Francs (midpoints)Denmark: Respondentís earnings per year before taxes in DKR (midpoints)Bulgaria: Personal monthly net income in LEVREPUBLIC OF CHILE: Respondentís monthly income in CLP (midpoints)United States: Respondentís earnings from all jobs in 1997 before taxes or other deductions in dollars (midpoints).

Variation in question wording:Australia: Yearly income in Australian moneyCanada: What is the total income of your household? Midpoints of the categories in Canadian money.Czech Republic: What is an average total net income of your household per month in CZK? Count incomes of all members of your household, all social benefits, allowances, and complementary incomes after taxation.Switzerland: Monthly household income from all sources (midpoints)Germany: Household net income per month after taxes and social insurance in DMSpain: Average monthly net income (midpoints) in PtsGreat Britain: Total gross family income per year from all sources before tax and national insurance (midpoints) in poundsAustria: Total household net income from all sources per month in shilling (midpoints)Hungary: Gross household income from all sources incl. Social benefits Ė monthly average net income in ForintItaly: Global net income per month after taxes in thous. LireIsrael: Respondentís and spouseís income in NIS (midpoints)Ireland: Into which group does your weekly household income fall, including all pensions, social welfare payments etc. (midpoints in Irish pounds)Japan: How much was the total income of your family last year before taxes? (midpoints in thous. Yen)Latvia: Household monthly net income in Latvian LatsNetherlands: Gross family income per year in classes (midpoints)Norway: What was householdís gross income before taxes and allowances in 1997 include retirement benefits etc.New Zealand: Which of the following categories best describes the total yearly income of all persons in your household from all sources before tax in New Zealand money (midpoints)?Portugal: Monthly family net income in escudos (midpoints)Poland: What is the monthly income of all the members of your household from all sources (after taxes)?Russia: What is your family income per member of your family per month in new RUR (midpoints)?Sweden: Monthly household income before taxes in SEKPhilippines: Total monthly income in Pesos.Slovenia: What was the net monthly income from all sources of all members of your household after taxes in Tolar?Cyprus: Total monthly gross family income before taxes in CYP (midpoints)France: Total monthly family income from all sources in Francs (midpoints)Denmark: Total family income per year before taxes in DKR (midpoints)Bulgaria: Household monthly net income in LEVRepublic of Chile: Total monthly family income from all sources (midpoints)United States: total family income from all sources in 1997 before taxes or other deductions in dollars (midpoints)

Variation in question wording:Germany, Austria: Which religious group do you belong to?United States: What is your religious preference? Is it Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, some other religion, or no religion? If protestant, what specific denomination is that?Great Britain, Sweden, Poland: Do you regard yourself as belonging to any particular religion? If yes, which?Hungary: Religion respondent feels now belong toIreland: What is your current religious denomination?Netherlands: Do you consider yourself to belong to a religious group or church? If yes, which of those groups or churches do you consider yourself to be a member of?Czech Republic: What religion are you?New Zealand: What is your current religion?Denmark: Are you a member of a church?Canada, Philippines: What, if any, church or religious group you belong to?Japan: What is your religious preference? Which group of Christianity do you belong to?

Variation in question wording:Great Britain: (If any religion) Apart from such special occasions as weddings, funerals, and baptism, how often nowadays do you attend services or meetings connected with your religion?Japan: How often do you attend religious services or go to pray at temple/shrine other than ĎHatumodeí, wedding or funeral?Philippines: How often do you pray?

Variation in category labels for ATTEND:

1 Philippines: Several times a day, once a day, several times a week, every week2 Austria: 1-3 times a month. Great Britain: At least once in a fortnight. Slovenia: 2-3 times a month, nearly ever week3 Great Britain: At least once a month4 Great Britain, Northern Ireland, Czech Republic: + Once or twice a year5 Great Britain, Northern Ireland: Less often than once a year. Australia, Hungary, Italy, Norway, New Zealand, Slovenia, Russia, Philippines, France: 1-2 times a year, less than once a year.Ireland: Less than once a year8 Great Britain: Varies too much0 Bulgaria, Israel: Not available

Variable: CLASS

Variation in question wording:Germany, Austria, Sweden: Which social class do you attribute yourself to?Australia, Japan, United States: If your were asked to use one of four names for your social class, which would you say you belong to: the lower, the working, the middle, or the upper class?Norway, Italy: Please tell me which social class you would say you belong to?Ireland: If you had to classify yourself in to one of the categories, which would it be?Czech Republic: Into what social class would you classify yourself?Slovenia: Which social group do you think you belong to?Canada: Some people consider themselves to be a member of a specific social class. Of the following groups, would you consider yourself a member ofÖ?New Zealand: In terms of your social status, which of the following categories do you think you fit into?Philippines: At present, where will you put yourself?

Variation in question wording:Great Britain: (All who have ever worked) Are you now a member of a trade union or staff association?

Variation in category labels for UNION:

1 Germany: Now member2 Germany: Never member; once a member. United States: Respondent not member, but spouse member 0 Northern Ireland: Not available

Variable: PRTYLR

Variation in question wording:Italy, Austria, Philippines: In politics there are often used terms the left and the right. Where do you place yourself?New Zealand: Generally speaking, in politics do you usually thing of yourself as:Cyprus: Political preference (left-right)

Variation in category labels for PRTYLR:

1 Great Britain: Green7 Italy: No political placement. Spain: No party affiliation at present. Slovenia, Germany: Would not vote, not eligible. Czech Republic: Would not vote; would drop invalid ballot in ballot box, no electoral right

Variable: HOMPOP

Variation in question wording:Germany: How many persons live all together in your household?Great Britain, Norway, New Zealand, Italy: Including yourself, how many people live here regularly as members of this household?Russia: How many people, who are members of your family, including yourself and children of any age, live together with you?

Variation in category labels for HOMPOP:

8 Czech Republic, Hungary, Sweden: 8 or more persons

Variable: HHCYCLE

Variation in question wording:Sweden: Adult = 18 years or older; child = 17 years or youngerCzech Republic: How many members including yourself are there in your household? How many dependent children up to 18 years do you live with in common household?Slovenia: A: number of household; B: number of children 6 thru 18 years; C: number of children below 6 years.

Variable: URBRURAL

Variation in question wording:United States: Expanded NORC size codeHungary: Type of residenceNorway: Municipality typeSweden: Respondent living in urban or rural areaCzech Republic: Derived from size of communitiesBulgaria: Type of communityNew Zealand: Do you live in a rural or urban area?

Variation in question wording:Great Britain, Northern Ireland: To which of these groups do you consider you belong?United States: From what country or part of the world did your ancestors come; (if more than one country named) which one of these countries do you feel closer?Germany: Which citizenship do you have? (questions about nationality, country of origin, duration of residence in Germany, and information about parents)Sweden: At the time of your birth, were both, one or neither of your parents citizens of Sweden?